A BULAWAYO man accused of allegedly voting on July 31 2013 while his name was not on the voters’ roll yesterday told the court that Registrar General (RG) Tobaiwa Mudede’s office had unlawfully removed his name from the voters’ roll. SILAS NKALA STAFF REPORTER
Christopher David Roger, who was represented by lawyer Ndabezinhle Mazibuko, denied the charge of illegal voting when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Elias Magato.
Roger said he was allowed to vote by polling officers and was surprised to find his name missing from the voter’s roll.
“The accused pleads not guilty to the charge and he does not understand why his name was not on the voters’ roll.
“He says he was once registered and voted in the 2002 elections. He, in fact, was surprised to notice that his name had been unlawfully removed from the voters’ roll,” submitted Mazibuko.
“The accused would say that after his passport was checked by polling officers on the day he was told to proceed and vote.”
Prosecutor Jeremiah Mutsindikwa called three witnesses who were polling officers at the Hillside Junior School polling station Simiphi Moyo (57), who was the presiding officer, Julian Nkiwane (41), a recorder and Sifelipilu Simanga (40) who was responsible for the voter’s roll checking.
Simanga said: “I checked his name on the voters’ roll and did not find it. I told him that his name was not there and he told me that he was once registered and he voted at the same polling station before.
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“I checked for his name again and did not find it. I asked him to produce his voter’s slip and he said he did not have any.”
Simanga said she then advised him to go to the presiding officer and she does not know what transpired after that. Nkiwane told the court that she recorded those who were turned away due to various reasons. She said Roger came to her saying his name was not on the voters’ roll carrying his passport which she checked.
“I wrote the reasons that he had been turned down because his name was not the voters’ roll and referred him to the presiding officer,” Nkiwane said.
“I just saw them talking, but I do not know what they were saying as I was dealing with other prospective voters. I just heard the presiding officer telling him to proceed.”
Mazibuko produced a letter from the RG’s office signed by Mudede which confirmed that Roger was a registered voter before 2002. He also produced Roger’s citizenship certificate which showed that he is a Zimbabwean.
Moyo told the court that she was a presiding officer at the polling station and she also assigned other officials some duties.
She said on the day in question at around 8am, she saw Roger and Nkiwane who were not very far from where she was holding his passport and they were talking, but could not hear what they were saying as she was dealing with other prospective voters.
Moyo said she asked them what the problem was and no one responded. Moyo said she checked Roger’s passport together with Nkiwane and certified it as valid.
“I told Nkiwane to write down that it was valid and told Roger to go and check his name on the voters’ role,” Moyo said.
“After 10 minutes when Roger had gone, Nkomo told me that he had voted while his name was not on the voters’ roll. I then confirmed with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission who certified that it was not there.”
A police officer who was following proceedings allegedly queried with Nkomo when she saw Roger being given ballot papers, but was ignored.
A report was made to the police and Roger was arrested. He is out on $100 bail.
